KNOXVILLE - Tennessee's offensive line performed well during the team's first padded practice Saturday.
The Volunteers will need their most proven and experienced position group to make that a trend.
Coleman Thomas (55) played well at both center and right guard in Tennessee's victory Saturday against Kentucky.
With the quarterbacks battling it out and skill-position players looking to emerge during spring practice, Tennessee's success on offense when the 2017 season arrives could hinge on how its front five plays.
To those linemen that's always been the case, though.
"I've always believed that a team is going to go as far as their guys up front will take them," senior guard Jashon Robertson said last week. "I've always approached it in that way, but this year it's definitely a reality with the things we've got going on. We have the most experienced group, so at the end of the day we've got to bring it day in and day out."
With seven returning players accounting for 111 combined career starts, Tennessee should boast one of the most experienced offensive lines in the 2017 college season. According to college football analyst Phil Steele, only five programs returned more starts in 2016. The Vols were 45th nationally and third in the SEC in that category in Steele's rankings last season.
Robertson's 35 starts in three years lead the way. Fellow senior Coleman Thomas has 27 starts at three different positions, while fifth-year veteran Brett Kendrick has 20 starts. The quartet of third-year players - Chance Hall (13), Jack Jones (seven), Drew Richmond (six) and Venzell Boulware (three) - add another 29 starts.
In 2014 Robertson and Thomas started as true freshmen, Hall and Jones also started as first-year players in 2015 and rookie Marcus Tatum was forced into the Alabama game last season.
"Our offensive line has been young," Robertson said. "We've had a few seasons now where we've had to start two true freshmen. It's definitely nice. At the end of the day, it's nice to have guys that you have been around, who you can make calls with and sometimes you don't even have to make the call (because) everyone's just on the same page."
Tennessee has enough experienced players that it shouldn't have to rely on a true freshman this season, but Trey Smith, the No. 1 player in the 2017 class according to ESPN, could have something to say about that.
The 6-foot-6, 313-pound Smith looks like he's been in the program for three years instead of only three months, and so far this spring he's working with Richmond at left tackle while Tatum is working at right tackle with Kendrick and Hall coming off surgeries.
While Thomas and Robertson are back at center and left guard, Jones is poised to take over at right guard for the departed Dylan Wiesman, though he'll be pushed for that job by Boulware.
"Jack has gotten a lot stronger," Robertson said. "He's been working his butt off in the weight room and any on-field stuff that we've been doing. I've seen a lot of improvement out of him. In general, he's a bit more mature.
"He's a year older, a year wiser understanding some things, has some football intelligence and is able to peep things quicker and faster and react to things."
Tennessee's younger crop of linemen include Smith and fellow early enrollee Riley Locklear in addition to the second-year quartet of Tatum and redshirt freshmen Ryan Johnson, Nathan Niehaus and Devante Brooks, a converted tight end.
Tasked with their development is new offensive line coach Walt Wells, who's familiar with the personnel he inherited after spending last season with the Vols in a quality control role. The Vols have traded a two-pronged approach with former offensive coordinator Mike DeBord supplementing line coach Don Mahoney for a more singular approach with Wells.
"To this point, he's the main voice that you're hearing," Robertson said. "To me that's really the only difference. Like I've said, we've had some minor things that we've switched up footwork-wise that he's really comfortable using and can be very fitting and can also be based off your body type, your strengths, your weaknesses.
"I've enjoyed the transition with Coach Wells. The guys, we're together working hard and stuff like that, so I think going forward it'll be a great process."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.